In its biggest ever fine, regulator Sebi today imposed a penalty of Rs 7,269.5 crore on PACL Ltd. and its four directors for illegal and fraudulent mobilisation of funds from the public, saying the company deserves maximum penalty for such large-scale duping of the common man.The penalty follows another order by Sebi last year wherein PACL was asked to refund Rs 49,100 crore it had collected through illicit schemes over a 15-year period. The refund order was also upheld last month by the Securities Appellate Tribunal, where PACL had filed an appeal. In its latest order today, Sebi said that PACL made huge illegal mobilisation of money, leading to consequent profit to the tune of over Rs 2,423 crore in a short span of less than one year.In a strong-worded order, Sebi said that keeping in view the entire facts and circumstances of the case there can not be a better case than this which deserves the maximum penalty. Under Sebi norms, it can impose a penalty of Rs 25 crore or 3 times of the profit made by indulging in fraudulent and unfair trade practices and in the present case the regulator has imposed a fine equivalent to three times of the illicit gains. Sebi said that its probe revealed that PACL and its four directors had mobilised funds from the general public through illicit collective investment schemes including in the name of purchase and development of agriculture land.